What is the difference between list and sales prices?
The list price is how much a house is advertised for and is usually only an estimate
of what a seller would like to get for the property. The sales price is the amount
a property actually sells for. It may be the same as the listing price, or higher
or lower, depending on how accurately the property was originally priced and on
market conditions. If you are a seller, you may need to adjust the listing price
if there have been no offers within the first few months of the propertys listing
period.

What Kind of home insurance should I get?
A standard homeowners policy protects against fire, lightning, wind, storms, hail,
explosions, riots, aircraft wrecks, vehicle crashes, smoke, vandalism, theft, breaking
glass, falling objects, weight of snow or sleet, collapsing buildings, freezing
of plumbing fixtures, electrical damage and water damage from plumbing, heating
or air conditioning systems, according to the Insurance Information Institute, a
Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit group for the insurance industry. Such policies
are "all-risk" policies, which cover everything except earthquakes, floods, war
and nuclear accidents. A basic policy can be expanded to include additional coverage,
such as for floods and earthquakes and even workers compensation for servants or
contractors. Home-based business-coverage, an increasingly popular rider, does not
cover liability associated with the business. Insurance experts recommend that homeowners
obtain insurance equal to the full replacement value of the home. On a 2,000-square-foot
home,for example, if the replacement cost is $80 per square foot, the house should
be insured for at least $160,000. For personal items, homeowners can increase their
coverage beyond the depreciated value of items such as televisions or furniture
by purchasing a "replacement-cost endorsement" on personal property. Some experts
recommend an inflation rider, which increases coverage as the home increases in
value.

Who gets the furnishings when a home is sold?
It depends. Fixtures, any kind of personal property that is permanently attached
to a house (such as drapery rods, built-in bookcases, tacked-down carpeting or a
furnace) automatically stay with the house unless specified otherwise in the sales
contract. But anything that is not nailed down is negotiable. This most often involves
appliances that are not built in (washer, dryer, refrigerator, for example), although
some sellers will be interested in negotiating for other items, such as a piano.